Social Support Networks, Alcohol and Drug Use, and HIV/AIDS Risk Behaviors among Delinquent Youth: An 8-Year Follow-up Study

This study examines the social support networks of juvenile justice youth as they enter young adulthood, and the association between their social support networks and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors.;The present study uses data from the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a large-scale longitudinal study examining the health needs and outcomes of 1829 youth sampled upon intake to juvenile detention from 1995--1998. For our analyses we used data collected in follow-up interviews with participants eight years after their detention. We chose the eight-year interview because participants were entering into a period of adulthood (age range 18--30), which is a critical time point for engaging in risky behavior.;This study shows that eight years after detention, nearly one of every five young people has no one that they feel they can count on. Another one-third have only one social support network member and most have very dense networks composed almost entirely of family members. Additionally, nearly 50% of participants perceive their support networks to be substantially controlling and intrusive.;Participants also engage in very risky sex and substance behaviors. Nearly 30% of participants reported high-risk sex behavior and nearly 40% reported marijuana use in the past month. Characteristics of their social support networks, including size, negative support (perceived as controlling or intrusive), and prosocial and antisocial influences, are associated with HIV/AIDS risk behaviors.;Although social support networks can improve quality of life, for these youth it is often a neglected area of rehabilitation and health care, falling outside of the purview of most service system domains. By integrating strategies, such as mentoring programs, into the justice system and community health systems, we can enhance the social support networks of these youth and provide for them---at least someone with whom they can discuss important matters. In addition, we need to incorporate strategies which include support networks, particularly family members, in HIV/AIDS risk reduction programs.